


The Mad Village

by SilentBoxTim



Category: Dream Team - Fandom
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Canon-Typical Violence, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Major character death but not actually, Some Swearing, Tales of the Dream SMP AU, dream and george are cornelius and miles for the most part, no beta we die like men, quackity is actually helga but i didnt know how to tag that, tags will be added as story progresses
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-03
Updated: 2021-01-07
Packaged: 2021-03-13 08:08:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,597
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28525224
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SilentBoxTim/pseuds/SilentBoxTim
Summary: Cornelius has become very intrigued by the traveler that has seemingly stumbled into the little village that he calls home and he intends to find out more about him. Angst, fluff, and happy endings ensue.This is a story centered around Dream and GeorgeNotFound's characters (Cornelius and Miles Memeington) from Karl's latest stream "The Village That Went Mad" because I like their characters. It is intentionally ooc for awhile because it technically isn't Dream and George but it will get better eventually.
Relationships: Clay | Dream/GeorgeNotFound (Video Blogging RPF)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 15





	1. The Traveler

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoy this chapter! This is more of a test post than anything, I want to see if you guys like the way I am writing their characters so far so please feel free to let me know!

Cornelius crossed his arms and leaned back against the door of his house, staring across the way at Miles who was chatting animatedly with the village mayor outside his own house. Cornelius had been curious of the man ever since he arrived in town, speaking in a strange accent none of them had ever heard, and declaring himself with the most outrageous name, Miles Memeington. After they had talked to the man and it became clear he had no malicious intent they welcomed him with open arms, letting him stay in the hut that was usually reserved for traveling merchants. It was just Cornelius’ luck that it was the hut directly across from his, giving him an unhindered view of the other man’s actions throughout the day. 

Miles had only been in town for a few weeks but Cornelius had already become quite intrigued with the man. He watched him throughout the day as he did his chores but Miles never did anything out of the ordinary, he only tended to his small garden. On rare occasions when the weather was nice he would sit on the stone surrounding the small fountain in the center of town, rolling up his pants and allowing his feet to dangle in the cool water as he wrote in his leather bound books. Until one day, that is. 

A month had passed since Miles had moved into the quiet village in the middle of the woods, and he had been able to talk to all the inhabitants except for one. The others had said his name was Cornelius and he hardly talked to anyone, always keeping to himself around his house. So, today, he decided he was going to make it his mission to get a decent conversation from the other man. With that goal in mind he set out across the stone path to the lake that was a few minutes walk from the village, it was the fourth day of the week and he knew Cornelius always fished on that day so he would have fresh fish for the shopkeeper later that afternoon. He glanced around at the forest as he walked through and tried to ignore the groaning of the monsters within, he knew now that he was safe as long as he stayed in the sun, the monsters didn’t like the sun. 

As he approached the lake the path began to get shadier as the clouds passed overhead, blocking out the sun and effectively ruining the safe bubble Miles had. He hurried down the path until he reached the lake and saw Cornelius sitting at the end of the dock, his legs dangling over the edge and just barely skimming the water. He approached Cornelius as quietly as he could so as not to scare the other fish, he knew the other man was already aware of his presence when he saw his shoulders stiffen. Miles sat down beside him and silently watched him fish for a while until he was sure the other man was less uncomfortable with his presence. 

In reality, Cornelius was only trying to appear calm because his mind was going a mile a minute and his heart was racing. Why, after an entire month, had the other man come to spend time with him? At the lake no less, which was a little hazardous to get to especially at this time a day when the path was shaded by the clouds. He glanced over at the other man, only for Miles to quickly look away with his cheeks flushed in embarrassment at being caught staring. Cornelius sighed and placed his pole down between them, wedging the end between two planks so it wouldn’t disappear into the water at the first tug from a fish. He leaned back on his palms and stretched his aching back while staring at Miles, trying to decode why he was out here. When the traveler’s face gave him no clues he decided to bite the bullet and simply ask.  
Miles, however, beat him to it by opening his mouth and blurting out the first thing his nervous mind could think of, “I noticed you always came here to fish on the fourth day and I didn’t know if you would want to interact in the village. Everyone always says you’re silent and keep to yourself so I thought maybe coming out here, to your spot, would make you more comfortable. I didn’t stop to consider it may be irritating to have someone out here so I apologize if I have overstepped. I just wanted to get to know you a bit, I suppose. Since we are neighbors after all and I plan to stay here for a long time.” He took a deep breath after his ramblings and looked away quickly, the flush traveling up to his ears as he stared out over the water. 

Cornelius chuckled and shook his head, leaning forward onto his knees so he could look at the other man’s face while he spoke, “Miles, I never talk to anyone because they never talk to me. I was so sure all this time that they just weren’t interested in having conversation with me so I have always kept to myself. You can talk to me, anytime.” He patted the other man on the shoulder, ignoring the shiver that went through his own chest at the contact, before gathering his things. Miles stood up alongside him after his fishing gear was all packed away, he even grabbed one of the nets full of fish to carry. The two men began to walk back to camp, a comfortable silence between them until they reached a particularly dark patch. Miles hesitated as Cornelius continued to stride through, until he noticed the other man had stopped that is. 

He turned to see Miles frozen, staring uneasily into the woods where you could see a pair of glowing purple eyes staring back at the two men. Cornelius curses under his breath and grabs the other man’s hand, dragging him quickly along the path until they reach the entrance back into the village. Miles shyly takes his hand back and clenches it back around the cord keeping the net shut, “Uh, thank you Cornelius. I don’t know what happened back there. One moment I was ok and the next I was staring into the eyes of that, that THING and I couldn’t look away.” 

Cornelius nodded his head and a sympathetic frown crossed his face, “Yeah, that would be an Enderman. Damn things freeze you in your own head for the other monsters to finish you off. If you ever hear a strange whooshing sound at night I would recommend keeping your eyes on the ground, they can’t get you if you don’t look into their eyes.”


	2. Gloves and Flowers

The two men continue walking to the small shop situated at the back of the village and drop the fish off. The shopkeeper, Helga, pays Cornelius the weekly amount and sends them off with a flick of the hand, stating she had more important business to do than keep them entertained with her good looks. Miles books it out of there while Cornelius laughs and trails out after him. He silently follows the other man to his house and only realizes he’s still tagging along when Miles stops in front of him and they bump into each other. He apologizes, embarrassed he hadn’t been paying attention when the other man tells him to wait for one moment while he fetches something from inside his home. 

Miles darts inside and quickly rummages through his chest at the end of his bed, looking desperately for the item he had been waiting to give to Cornelius for a few weeks. He finally finds the small bag made of hide and dashes back outside before practically throwing the pouch at the other man’s chest. Cornelius catches it in his hand and stares quizzically at Miles, who only gestures for him to open it with an excited look on his face. He pulls the knot loose from the cord and pulls the neck of the pouch open wider so he can look inside, he sees a bundle of dark fabric and frowns. He tips the bag over into his other hand and shakes out the contents, which happens to be a pair of gloves. He looks up at Miles, confused on why a man who is practically a stranger would get him a gift. 

Miles bites his bottom lip nervously and gestures wildly with his hands, “Well I noticed you were always rubbing your hands when you came back from doing your chores, I figured you got blisters sometimes. I had these gloves I got from the last village I stopped in but they are unfortunately too big on me, but they should fit you just fine. I thought it would be helpful, especially since they’re fingerless so you can still have a good grip on everything.” 

Cornelius smiles shyly down at the gloves in his hand and pulls them on, flexing his hands out and sighing at the comfortable fit. He glances up at Miles who is seemingly transfixed on his hands before reaching out and closing the other man in a brief hug, patting him roughly on the back before letting go and grinning, “These are going to be a tremendous help, thank you Miles. Let me know how to pay you back and I most certainly will.”

The other man, his face a bright red, smiled and shrugged his shoulders, “Well, I have been needing to get more ingredients to make the ink for my books. My wells are running low and I would hate to run out. I was going to gather some things before nightfall if you wouldn’t mind joining me, as long as you aren’t busy of course.” Cornelius said he was indeed free for the rest of the afternoon and they headed into the field that was a few minutes walk from the town. 

Miles pointed out the few flowers he needed, since he knew they would be the easiest to gather for someone who had no idea how to make ink, and set out a little deeper into the woods to look for the harder ingredients to find. The two became very immersed into their work, Cornelius eventually joining Miles in the woods when he became bored with picking flowers. Eventually, the two glanced up at the sky and noticed how dark it was quickly becoming. Cornelius immediately dropped the comedic air that he had been keeping up for the past hours and quickly gathered all of their items, shoving them into his pack and grabbing Miles’ hand for the second time that day to drag him back home, “Miles we have to leave now. It’s not safe out here in the dark with no weapons and no armor.” 

The two quickly and silently started jogging back towards the village until they heard the eerie sounds of an Enderman teleporting around. Cornelius thrust his arm out in front of Miles’ chest to stop him when he saw the creature awaiting them further down the path. He swore and pulled something out of his pack slowly, Miles couldn’t get a good look at it but when Cornelius brought it up to his face it became clear it was a mask of some sort. It blocked out his eyes with some kind of sheet, and Miles could only hope that the other man could still see when he started guiding them back down the path. He whispered to Miles to keep his head down and make as little noise as possible. 

Cornelius knew this wasn’t one of the normal, stupid Endermen that hung around the town. They were easy enough to ignore, but this one. This one was the one that haunted the town only on certain occasions, typically the full moon. He was the one with the green and red eyes. As far as Cornelius could guess he couldn’t see as well as the others, hence why he only showed up on the full moon. He was smarter and more conniving, and he could speak to you. He would whisper the greatest deals in your ear, acting just like a sneaky tradesman who was trying to scam you for profit. Cornelius knew better, he knew where that path led and he refused to follow it. 

He guided Miles past the creature, and knew immediately when the thing began to hiss in his ears by how close he shrank to Cornelius. The taller man closed his eyes beneath his mask and wrapped his arm around Miles’ shoulders, pulling the other man closer and tucking him against his shoulder while they sped away from the monster. He knew how miserable that creature's taunts could become, and he hated that it was targeting Miles. 

He heaved a sigh of relief and slowed their pace once he finally saw the lights of the village, that is until Miles cried out in pain and he looked down to see an arrow protruding from the other man's upper bicep, right below where Cornelius’ hand was curled. He felt his stomach turn over and he bent down, catching the other man as his knees gave out and sprinting the remaining distance to his own house.


	3. Healing and Helping

Cornelius kicked the door shut once inside his home and laid Miles down on his bed, he looked at the other man who, while not suffering from a fatal wound, was still in a great deal of pain. Cornelius ran to grab his medical supplies from the kitchen and sat down to begin patching up Miles’ arm. He removed the arrow and apologized profusely when the other man cursed at him and whimpered. He then set to bandaging his arm and as he carefully wrapped the cloth strips around the other man’s bicep, he glanced up at his face to see Miles watching his careful movements with teary eyes. 

Miles quickly glanced away when Cornelius noticed him watching his hands and felt frustration bubble up in his chest. He had known the other man for barely a day and he had already been forced to rescue him twice. He felt so incredibly weak compared to the man holding his arm and it bothered him immensely. Once the bandage was complete Cornelius reached out to help him sit up and Miles jerked his arm away, sitting up carefully on his own with frustration clearly written on his face. 

Cornelius frowned and placed a hand on the other man’s shoulder, “Miles? Are you okay? That was a pretty scary moment, I was terrified so I can’t even imagine how you must feel.” 

Miles sighed and dropped his head, “I’m just, I feel so weak. You have had to protect me so much today and I feel so helpless compared to you. You’re so strong and I can do nothing but make ink and write useless stories.” Miles finished his rant and glanced sideways at the other man, who had yet to take off the unsettling mask, “Also, would you mind to take that off? It’s quite unsettling and I like seeing you more anyway.” After the words have left his mouth, Miles snaps his mouth shut and presses his lips into a line. He doesn’t know where the words came from, he just felt like he needed to say them but now that they are out in the open he can’t help but feel like there was a deeper meaning than he initially thought. His worries are only proven correct when Cornelius lifts the mask off his face, revealing his flushed cheeks and an embarrassed look in his eyes. 

Cornelius thinks back on what Miles had said, deciding to skip over the comment about his face and frowns at the other man, “You are not helpless Miles, and stories are never useless. Stories are what carry on history, they are the lifeblood of humanity. Everyone is important Miles, just in their own ways. I have no idea how to make ink, nor could I travel across the world by myself as you have. You are incredibly brave, just because you haven’t had the experiences I have does not make you weak, it just makes us different. And being different is what keeps the world an interesting place, it would be incredibly dull if we were all the same person don’t you think?” His chest aches after he finishes his piece, that is the most he has said at one time in years. It feels good, to talk like this with someone else, and he hates that Miles would consider himself weak just because he is comparing the two of them. Cornelius feels weak when he thinks of Miles, the other man is leagues smarter than he could ever hope to be. After only an afternoon of talking he can already tell the other man thinks in ways that are different than anyone he has ever met before. 

Miles blinks at Cornelius, stunned at the amount of words that have come out of the man’s mouth. He smiles gratefully and bumps their shoulders together, ignoring the stinging pull in his bicep when Cornelius bumps him back. They sit in comfortable silence until Miles yawns, the day’s events finally catching up to him. He stands up to leave and walks to the door, a wave of unease washing over him when he catches a glimpse of the darkness outside the window. He hesitates with his hand on the door handle, long enough that Cornelius walks over to him and pulls him back away from the door, “You can stay here tonight Miles, there’s no shame in it I promise. After my first run in with a pack of zombies, I slept curled up on Helga and Jack’s couch for days. You can stay here as long as you need to, if you want to that is.” He tacks on the last bit in a rush, not wanting to make Miles feel like he is being forced to stay. 

Miles turns and throws his arms around Cornelius’ shoulders, his arm twinges but he ignores it in favor of squeezing his gratitude into the other man. The taller man startles at the contact but gently wraps his arms around the other’s waist, the hug feeling like the exact opposite of the brief, rough hug they had shared earlier. This one felt warm, and safe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hope you enjoyed this chapter! it was a lot of fun to write, and next chapter gets a little...interesting i would say so make sure to stick around ;) 
> 
> it should be up in the next couple of days


	4. Warmth

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little warning for today's chapter, things get a little, ah, heated but nothing too far! Check the end notes if you are really concerned about how far it goes! And I hope you enjoy!

After spending a few nights at Cornelius’ house, Miles finally felt safe enough to try sleeping in his own house. At least, he thought he was. Once he was alone in his bed with the darkness of night separated from him only by a wall of wood, he felt panic gripping his chest and stealing his breath until he sprang from his bed. He stuffed a journal, a quill, and his ink into a small sack, grabbed a torch from his wall, and quickly made his way over to Cornelius’ house. He was grateful to see the house still lit up and opened the door gently, letting himself in before shutting the door and making his way into the kitchen. Cornelius was up, sharpening his weapons after the day they had spent hunting, but he startled when he saw Miles from the corner of his eye and almost dropped his axe. 

Miles laughed quietly and sat down heavily in his chair at the table, “I’m sorry for intruding again, I just couldn’t sleep. The longer I laid there the more I could hear that disgusting monster’s slimy voice in my ear. He really messed with my head, how come he couldn’t get to you?” 

Cornelius shrugged nonchalantly, “I’m not sure, I don’t know exactly how he works so I’m not sure why he can’t get into my head. Strange, yeah?” Despite his uncaring attitude however, Miles could see the tense way the other man was holding himself. He decided to let it go for tonight, but he did note the way the other man called the creature ‘he’ instead of ‘it.’ 

Miles pulled out his journal and glanced around the hut, looking for inspiration as he was in the mood to draw. His eyes landed on how Cornelius was sitting, his strong hands holding onto his axe while he examined the blade to ensure it was in good shape, and smiled softly. Miles dropped his head down and began to sketch out rough lines, the image of the other man slowly forming and taking shape the longer he sketched. After awhile he began to add other things to the page that reminded him of Cornelius, his gloved hands holding a fishing pole, his strange mask resting on the table beside his bed, his smiling form standing next to the fire while he cooked breakfast, and, eventually, the page was full of all of things that made Miles think of the other man. Miles smiled down at the page and ran his finger gently over the rough image of Cornelius holding a giant fish he had caught, until he realized what exactly he was doing and pulled his hand away. 

“Is that me, Miles? I didn’t know you could draw! You did make my mean mug look a little nicer than it is though, so thank you for that.” Miles jumped as Cornelius’ voice sounded from above him and he snapped his head up to see the other man smiling down at him. His breath caught in his chest as Cornelius leaned down closer to see the page, his arms coming up to rest his palms on either side of the journal, and effectively trapping Miles in the middle. 

Miles closed his eyes to calm his racing heart but gasped and snapped them open seconds later when he felt the other man grab his hands and pull him out of the seat. Cornelius wrapped his arms around Miles’ waist and lifted him to spin him in the air for a moment, “Thank you Miles, really. I haven’t seen myself in a very long time and you captured me very well.” He ended the sentence and smiled down at the other man bashfully, not used to having to express his emotions so bluntly. 

Miles smiled softly back, his reply dying on his lips as he noticed how close the two of them were. Their chests were pressed together and his feet were barely touching the floor, Cornelius holding the majority of his weight. Miles hesitantly wrapped his arms around the other’s neck and as he did, Cornelius’ eyes trailed down to his lips before his eyes widened and he glanced back up to make eye contact with Miles as his face began to flush. The shorter man felt a surge of bravery and raised a hand to hold the back of the other’s neck, slowly pulling the other man closer, their lips being just a hair's breadth apart until Cornelius leaned the last bit closer and pressed their lips together. 

The kiss only lasted a moment, though it felt like much longer, before they both pulled away. Miles opened his eyes and glanced up at the other man who looked completely stunned until the cockiness came back in full swing and he grabbed underneath Miles’ thighs, lifting him up to sit on the table. He brought their lips back together as he stepped between the other’s thighs and Miles’ hands moved to grip the front of Cornelius’ shirt as the kiss became more heated until they eventually parted to catch their breath. Cornelius started kissing along Miles’ jaw and down his neck until he felt a hand on his chest, pushing him back gently. 

He raised his head from Miles’ neck quickly, while still keeping his hold on the other man’s hips, and looked down at Miles nervously. Miles smiled up at him in a reassuring way, “You didn’t do anything wrong, I’m just not sure I’m exactly ready for, uh, that yet.” 

Cornelius nodded his head with a small smile and backed away, releasing his hold on the other man and returning to his chair where he was tending to his weapons, “That’s ok Miles, I’m sorry for overstepping. I just felt like if I didn’t take this chance then I would regret it.” 

Miles feels his face heat up and looks down at the ground, staying silent for a moment. The kiss had felt very nice, and while he was caught off guard by it he couldn’t say he didn’t enjoy it. He walks over to where Cornelius is sitting and puts a hand on his shoulder, placing a small kiss on the top of his head, “It’s ok Cornelius, I enjoyed it. A lot. I’m just not ready to move that fast.” 

The taller man feels his ears get hot and turns in his chair, wrapping his arms around the other man’s waist and burying his burning face in his stomach. He doesn’t trust his voice enough to speak and he can only hope Miles understands. Miles chuckles quietly and laces his fingers through Cornelius’ hair. They stay like that for a while until Miles yawns and pulls away slowly, “Well, it has been an eventful night so I think I am going to go and sleep now. Goodnight Cornelius.” 

As Miles turns to go to the couch, Cornelius reaches out and gently snags his wrist. Miles looks back at him with a confused frown and the taller male looks down at him shyly, “You don’t have to sleep on the couch tonight if you don’t want to. It is cold tonight after all.” Miles quirks a brow, knowing it was the middle of summer and it most certainly was not cold in the little hut, but chooses not to say anything and smiles instead. He lets Cornelius pull him to the only separate room in the hut, a slight wave of nerves washing over him as he stares at the small bed in the corner. Cornelius crawls onto the bed and settles down by the wall, folding back the blankets and softly patting the bed next to him in an invitation for Miles to lay down. 

Miles slowly walks over and slides under the quilt, once in the bed he turns to his side and faces away from Cornelius. He squeezes his eyes shut tightly and tries not to think about how warm and comfortable he feels, while also ignoring the warm presence inches away from his back. He is nearly asleep until Cornelius snakes an arm around his middle, pulling his back flush to the other’s chest and making the air get caught in Miles’ throat. Despite all the layers separating them, it feels like his skin is on fire everywhere they come in contact and he quickly feels overwhelmed. Miles wants to jump away, to put some distance between their bodies, before he combusts. 

Cornelius feels the nervous tension running through the other man and sighs, rubbing a calming hand up and down Miles’ side and dropping light kisses on his shoulder until the other man begins to calm down. Cornelius feels the moment the last bit of tension leaves Miles, the smaller man’s breathing slowing as he falls asleep. Still awake, Cornelius quietly lifts his head from his pillow, looking down at the man sleeping peacefully beside him. He feels a surge of raw emotion overcome him, he cares very deeply for Miles, and he thinks he will do anything to make sure the other man is never hurt.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING  
> Light making out but it stops before anything very heated happens!
> 
> I hope you guys liked this chapter! Sorry it was a bit longer, there was a lot I wanted to fit in before the next chapter came out. I must admit, this type of writing is a little bit out of my comfort zone but I wanted to attempt it! Let me know if you liked it, and be warned next chapter is going to be... a roller coaster for sure. So stay tuned ;)


End file.
